TEHRAN - Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been dancing to the tune of his foreign backers, notably Turkey and the United States, since his armed men ousted the Syrian government earlier this month. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group led by al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, along with its allies took over Damascus on December 8 and announced the toppling of president Bashar Assad. On Sunday, the HTS leader held his first public news conference since Assad’s fall with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The top Turkish diplomat vowed to continue to support Syria’s new rulers and called for lifting international sanctions on the Arab nation. Al-Sharaa echoed his guest’s remarks. “All the economic sanctions must be lifted, now the predator has gone and only the victims remain.
The factors of injustice and oppression have gone. Now the time is opportune for these sanctions to be lifted.” Al-Sharaa is a former member of Al-Qaeda and ISIL for whom the US had offered a bounty of $10 million.
But on Friday, Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, who is the top State Department official for the Middle East (West Asia) announced that Washington is dropping the reward for the arrest of the HTS leader. Leaf made the comments as she led an American delegation that traveled to Syria to hold talks with Syrian new rulers. Describing Assad as “the predator” and citing “injustice and oppression” under his rule throws a spotl.
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